The present invention relates generally to crib and toddler bed elevators and in particular to an elevator capable of being variably adjusted and further capable of securely elevating various types of cribs and toddler beds.
Physicians and in particular pediatricians advise parents on occasion to elevate the head of their child's crib or toddler bed to alleviate conditions such as gastro-esophageal reflux, colds, and sinusitis. Elevating the head of the crib or toddler bed introduces a tilt to the sleeping surface, which has beneficial physiologic effects. For example, a baby suffering from acid reflux may obtain relief from tilting of his crib, which allows gravity to keep stomach acid from moving up into the baby's esophagus. Elevation also assists children suffering from earaches, head congestion, sore throats, and sinusitis by elevating the head above the body, and thereby enhancing drainage of the sinuses.
Depending upon the condition suffered by the child and its degree, a physician may direct the parents to tilt the bed at varying angles or he may direct the parents to tilt the bed at an initial angle and then adjust the tilt angle later to suit the child's conditions. Thus, a need exists for a crib and toddler bed elevator that is selectively and variably adjustable. Because the elevator is used around small children and toddlers, a need also exists for an elevator that includes safety features in the event a small child or toddler falls onto or strikes the elevator.
Adult bed elevators are common in the art. Examples of adult bed elevators include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,893,164; 2,933,850; 5,224,227; 5,345,631; 6,012,185; 6,575,414 B2; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/777,517 (Pub. No. U.S. 2001/0023509 A1). However, none of these patents provide a selectively adjustable system specifically designed for cribs or toddler beds. Due to size differences between cribs and adult beds and other design considerations, including safety, adult bed elevators are not generally suitable for cribs and toddler beds. For example, many of the adult bed elevators are made of hard material and have straight edges, which pose a risk to small children and toddlers. Adult bed elevators known in the art, typically comprised of two blocks, also do not provide a means for a user to quickly and easily install both elevator blocks nearly simultaneously. This feature is desirable because a parent will often wish to install a crib/toddler bed elevator while holding a child. A need exists, therefore, for an elevator specifically adapted for cribs and toddler beds.
Devices that elevate the mattress, as opposed to the legs, of a crib are also known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,208,925 and 6,378,151 are examples. These patents do not adequately address the above problems because, among other things, both require a parent to expend considerable effort installing and removing the elevation devices. This would be difficult, if not impossible, to do while holding a small child. In addition, it is preferable that a mattress should be tight against all crib and toddler bed wall sides. Thus, there is a need to raise and lower the bed, rather than the mattress.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art devices and provides a safe, simple, and easy to install means for elevating a crib or toddler bed to assist a baby suffering from acid reflux, sinusitis, allergies, head congestion, or other conditions.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law. To the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein, it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.